New charge filed against Mike Madigan as AT&T Illinois agrees to pay $23 million fine

A federal grand jury has leveled an extra felony cost in opposition to former Illinois Home Speaker Michael Madigan as AT&T Illinois agreed to pay a $23 million high quality for attempting to illegally sway the once-powerful politician.

Madigan and longtime confidant Michael McClain face an extra conspiracy rely alleging corruption involving AT&T Illinois. The utility’s former president 65-year-old Paul La Schiazza, additionally now faces fees for conspiring to affect Madigan.

The utility organized for an ally of Madigan’s, former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo, to obtain $22,500 as key laws moved by means of Springfield.

AT&T Illinois has entered right into a so-called deferred-prosecution settlement with U.S. Legal professional John Lausch’s workplace, much like the deal reduce by ComEd when the feds charged it with bribery greater than two years in the past.

AT&T Illinois has cooperated with federal prosecutors —and says it is going to proceed to take action —below the phrases of the two-year deal.

Acevedo pleaded responsible late final 12 months to tax evasion.

A Madigan protection legal professional declined to remark. An AT&T Illinois spokesperson mentioned: “We maintain ourselves and our contractors to the very best moral requirements. We’re dedicated to making sure that this by no means occurs once more.”

The case in opposition to ComEd first implicated Madigan in an almost decadelong scheme that has since led to the indictment of Madigan himself, in addition to McClain and three different individuals tied to ComEd who’re additionally accused of attempting to illegally affect Madigan by rewarding his allies.

The scandal led in early 2021 to the tip of Madigan’s reign because the longest-serving state Home speaker within the nation, although Madigan wouldn’t be charged till earlier this 12 months.

WBEZ reported earlier this 12 months that AT&T Illinois, formally generally known as Illinois Bell Phone Firm LLC, might face a felony cost as an offshoot of the Madigan investigation. The utility mentioned as a lot in a federal regulatory submitting.

“Just lately, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Northern District of Illinois knowledgeable us that they’re contemplating submitting a cost in opposition to one in every of our subsidiaries, Illinois Bell Phone Firm, LLC (Illinois Bell), arising out of a single, nine-month consulting contract in 2017 value $22,500,” the corporate disclosed.

Although ComEd’s take care of the feds famously referred to Madigan as “Public Official A,” AT&T Illinois’ names the now-charged former speaker outright. It says that in 2017, the utility organized for an unnamed particular person to not directly obtain $22,500 from AT&T Illinois despite the fact that that individual did no work in return.

AT&T Illinois “knew that Madigan’s help was important to their legislative success,” as his workplace had beforehand stopped key laws from transferring ahead.

Following a legislative failure in 2015, somebody circulated a “Classes Discovered” doc. Underneath the heading “Speaker Madigan” was written, “AT&T shouldn’t be as ‘useful’ when requests are made as Commonwealth Edison.”

This can be a creating story. Test again for updates.